Worried About Legal Trouble After Quitting During Probation? Need Urgent Advice!

I need your help. I started working on April 1, 2013, and until today, which is July 3, 2013, it's been 2 days since I decided not to resume work with the same company. Today, on July 3, 2013, I received a call from the HR person asking why I haven't been coming to work for the last 2 days. I informed him over the phone that I would not be returning to work from now on. He then requested me to email him about this, to which I agreed. He mentioned that if I don't send any email, it will be considered as absconding, which could be held against me.

I am concerned about any potential legal actions they may take against me, considering I have only been in the job for 3 months and I am still in the probation period. What would you suggest I do? Also, I have no interest in obtaining relieving letters or experience certificates. Your urgent assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. Please reply to me today itself. Thank you for your help.

Requesting Waiver of Notice Period

You need to send a formal email and request the company to waive the notice period.

Regards,

What you have done is absolutely wrong and not advisable. Whether you like that company or not, you should respect the company that gave you a platform where you could learn (at least for 3 months). I hope you are fresh to the corporate world and do not know how to act professionally. Kindly try to do the following:

1. Though you do not want an experience letter and relieving order from this company, this is not the right/professional way of conveying your resignation. Kindly write to them clearly about your resignation and the reason why you are leaving. Let them acknowledge the same and keep a copy of it for future reference.

2. You may have worked there for 1 or 2 months, but it is always better to keep your employer informed in a professional manner about your resignation, which will help you as you grow in the corporate world.

3. If you fail to adopt these practices from now on, you will not progress well in corporate environments. Do not worry about what they will do after that; let them do as they wish, but ensure you do your job well.

Regards,
M. Kannan

Dealing with Job Dissatisfaction and Employment Conditions

What would you do if you didn't find satisfaction with your new and expected jobs in the future? What would you do if you did not find the suitable atmosphere or the things that compelled you to take this step with your present employment?

Would you please share the reason why you don't want to continue your job?

I second Mr. Kannan; whatever the situation or reason was, you must respect the employment conditions and resign from the position by providing a valid reason. Your HR person is right that you will be declared absconded and responsible for every deserving action in case of any violation of terms that you agreed to while joining this job.

At this early stage of your career, you must understand the importance of opportunities and that this is a learning period. You first have to make yourself comfortable with the atmosphere, need to learn from everything, and stay for a period to get a good understanding of your work/area of function, which will help you to take a second step towards your career goal and direct you to move ahead.

Rest, I request you again to think about your decision and the opportunity you have been provided, and please share the problems if you have any with them. You can seek every possible help from the community and guidance from the experts and seniors.

It's an unfortunate but common experience that you're going through. The most common cause of this is the failure to reconcile employee expectations with the actual work environment provided by the employer. I advise that regardless of what happened to make you want to leave the job, please maintain a good, professional attitude in communication. In the future, always try to correspond with your HR before simply disappearing from work because that is totally irresponsible. Remember, we now live in the dot-com age where your records can be retrieved by any future employer about your work history, whether you left peacefully or not.

I, therefore, suggest that you go back to the company HR, talk things over, and formally end your working relationship with the company instead of leaving a red flag that might interfere with your future employment prospects. Secondly, I suggest you get a mentor who can guide you in building a fruitful career instead of making rash adverse decisions like you did.

Thank you.

Why don't you take leave officially, take a small trip out, forget this, and then make a cool, rational decision? Sorry to say, it is not fair to just stop going, whatever your disappointments may be. Every job may have its share of disappointments, especially the first one, as we often have ideal situations in mind. (It is something like your lover, the pleasant one after becoming a wife/husband, showing a different part of the personality that was not visible to you as a lover.)

Please admit to HR that you are confused and need 2 days to think. Take a small break, forget this for a day, then make a cool decision. In a rational frame of mind, if you want to quit, quit properly and ethically. The world is small, and you may have to face the same people again.

Please don't say, "I have decided rationally." If you had decided without being bogged down by emotions, your way of leaving would have been different.

You can SMS if you still ha

I do agree with the above observations. Probably, this may be his first or second job. He should respect the company that has given an offer. Again, the perception of management and the HR person differs. He should go to work and discuss with HR. He may be given another opportunity or slot where he can excel. Wish him all the best.

Thanks,
Sudarsan
Manager HR, IWMUST Trichy

My feedback aligns with M. Kannan and Anil Arora, but I would like to offer a commonly underestimated piece of advice: never make any decision in life based on emotions, especially when it comes to work. Your emotional intelligence is directly linked to your earning capacity. The more emotionally capable you are, the better you can handle work and people, resulting in higher earnings.

Consider Your Reasons for Leaving

I recommend taking a bold and courageous step: write down why you are considering leaving the company. However, do this without playing the blame game. We are responsible for how we react; we can change ourselves but not others. Changing jobs will not resolve any underlying issues. While these words may sound philosophical, they are practical and can yield results.

Prepare for the Corporate World

As Mr. M. Kannan mentioned, you are new to the corporate world. To better prepare yourself, I suggest engaging in daily activities like reading motivational books and watching videos by Anthony Robbins, Robin Sharma, Wayne Dyer, and Larry Winget. These individuals are guaranteed to provide assistance.

Regards.

Understood that you are very new to the corporate world. First, try to pinpoint what the reasons are that are forcing you to make a decision. Can you work on a few, if possible, to resolve the issue? Remember that any decision you take now will definitely have an impact on your career. The world is small; your feedback will definitely be taken by other recruiters, officially or unofficially.

That's all I can suggest. Think twice before you react.

Regards, Yogitha

Why did you do what you did?

As rightly pointed out by many seniors in this forum, this is not the way to end a relationship with your employer, or in fact, any relationship. I do not see why you did not inform your employer that you did not wish to work for them any longer. The most troubling fact is that you did not give any reason to leave; you did not feel like working, so you just left.

Suppose you had worked with this company for 1 or 2 years, and suddenly they tell you that they do not wish to employ you any longer and ask you to quit, how would you feel?

You should not take employment as a game and stop whenever you want. Employment is a contract that works both ways. You are committed to work for the employer just as the employer is committed to offering you employment.

Please take heed from the various replies you have received and decide if you are ready to take up employment or not. If you wish to work, then maintain professional decency and quit any employment in the proper way.

Wishing you success in your future endeavors.

Regards

I am rather surprised that you have not bothered to respond to the advice given for your predicament. Rather than advising you, I will raise some questions and give an instance of how things happen in life.

Questions to Consider

What qualifications do you have, and what was the post to which you do not want to go back? Could you also kindly tell us why you joined that organization and why you want to quit before your probation period is over?

Examples of Career Implications

Now, I will give you an example of how people from the organization that you want to leave can be involved in your fate later in life. Mr. X was working for an organization, and his boss (Mr. Y) had given him a bit of trouble. Mr. X left the organization and went to teach. After a couple of years, Mr. Y went for an interview at the same university where Mr. X worked. When Mr. X's boss asked what he thought of Mr. Y, as he had seen him talking to Mr. X, Mr. X did not say anything good about Mr. Y, and Mr. Y did not get the job.

In another instance, Mr. A left an organization and joined another. Within one year, his ex-boss from the previous organization joined the new company and became his boss again. So, if you are thinking of running away from a bad boss, think twice.

Regards

I understand that you have felt extremely dejected with your present company, but that must not and should not, more specifically, stop you from following the protocol of any company. Please meet with HR and share what you are going through. This would solve more than half of your problems in terms of being open with the company from your side. In case you are still not satisfied, then you have the right to decide whether you would continue or quit the job.

However, my sincere request to you is to keep your employer informed. This is absolutely essential, even if you have only worked for one week or a few days, for that matter. Never be impulsive; it only takes a toll on you the most. May God give you the wisdom to make the right move in every step of your life. Be Blessed!

Best Regards,
Sheela
Well Wisher

There are good experiences and bad experiences in life and in the profession. Good experiences keep us happy and encourage us to continue to put in good efforts to grow in the chosen path. However, though bad experiences are considered disappointing, they too help us experience and learn the unseen side of the world and move ahead in a positive direction. There are certain points which you did not share in the forum.

1. Is it due to work culture or your boss that you wish to quit? If that is the case, you have two options: either absorb whatever happens like a blotting paper and wait for an opportune time to quit properly, or remain like a dewdrop on a lotus leaf, untouched and unabsorbed by things happening around you. Or is there any other reason to quit?

2. You are bound by the terms of your offer letter/contract of employment, and the employer can take action against you.

3. What would you do without taking a relieving letter and an experience certificate for just three months of work experience? If you wish not to work altogether in your lifetime, then it is up to you. Even then, it is improper to quit in the manner you did.

4. Remember that you are on probation, and if the employer does not relieve you properly and implicates you, then it will hamper your future prospects.

Unless a stone is chiseled, it cannot become an idol. Take anything that comes your way, and in the long run, you will grow taller and wiser, glow brighter, and live better.

Regards,
Madhusudan

I liked the advice given by Mr. Anil Arora, Mr. Kannan, Parag, and many others. I fully support their views. Only one thing I would like to add: Study the terms of appointment and act accordingly. I feel there would not be any notice period involved as long as you are on probation.

Continuing in a job or discontinuing is purely at one's wish and will. No external forces can compel anyone to act against their will. In your case, if you wish to discontinue or resign from your job, you should submit your resignation either as a hard copy or a soft copy message, while observing the clauses of the appointment order accepted by you. If the resignation clause applies during the probation period or after confirmation, you must adhere to it. Violation of these clauses may result in your HR Manager/Department initiating action against you.

If you address these areas, neither the law nor HR professionals can intervene.

Liking or disliking one's employer, for whatever reason, is purely based on one's perception, observation, or future prospects.

Keep a cool mind and sincerely pursue job opportunities that align with your positive qualities. Remember, "Good gets going and going gets good. Tough gets going and going gets tough." Nothing can hinder a dedicated worker.

Best wishes.

Please submit your resignation letter in a professional manner. This will benefit you in the future.

Consequences of Leaving a Company Abruptly

If you run away from companies like this, next time when HR is hiring people from your place or college, you may be neglected.

My free suggestion would be, if you have a problem in your job, escalate it to the top management or try to fit into the company's shoes. If the company is too bad, then make a decision and inform them openly that the company is not a good fit for you.

Even if you consider all those documents (appointment letter, experience letters for 3 months) as waste, if a company is accepting such 3-month letters from freshers like you, I am a million percent sure that it is also a useless company.

I just want to inform you that they won't take legal action until you have signed any terms and conditions regarding the time periods for the work (bonds). I want to emphasize that the culture of every company has its unique identity; each company has its different culture. The company will not conform to your terms and conditions, but you have to adapt to the employees, management, and the culture. If you proceed with this mentality, you won't succeed anywhere. So, my friend, just adapt to it. They are compensating you for your work.

Regards,
Dhrumin Soni

HR Executive
Gujarat Apollo Industries Ltd.
[Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]